University To Host City’s First LGBT Resource Fair

The LGBT Career and REsource Fair will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 at the Library Community Room on campus.

By Betsaida Lopez

SAN ANTONIO—Obtaining a job that provides a safe, inclusive, and diverse environment is important to most job seekers, but sometimes these employers are difficult to find.

With this in mind, conversations began last year between Robert Salcido, a member of the Pride Center San Antonio executive board, and Amanda Benton, a senior interning as the event coordinator at Project H.O.T. Both arrived at the same conclusion: What better way to help those within the LGBT community search for a job than by gathering San Antonio companies who offer LGBT protections in their company policies?

There idea will come to fruition on May 2 as Our Lady of the Lake University hosts the first ever city-wide LGBT Career and Resource Fair. The career and resource fair will consist of 15-20 San Antonio based companies that offer inclusion and diversity policies that specifically protect gay and transgender employees.

“Gay and transgender employees currently do not have any protections when it comes to private employment in San Antonio,” Salcido said. “They can be fired for their sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.”

The event will feature organizations that offer services to the LGBT community throughout San Antonio. Sponsors of the fair include Project H.O.T., Pride Center San Antonio, Equality Texas, the San Antonio LGBT Chamber of Commerce, The Alliance at OLLU, and Dress for Success.

The collaborators believed the university campus would be the ideal venue for an event because of its LGBT policies, easy access to public transportation, and the university’s safe, diverse, and inclusive environment.

Attendees are encouraged to dress professionally and bring plenty of resumes to the event. Eventbrite.com notes the details of the event and also allows you to register ahead of time, for FREE.

“Many of these companies are eager to meet with you,” Salcido said. “Just walk in and start interviewing, it’s that simple. Save time, money and effort by interviewing with multiple San Antonio employers in one day!”

The fair will take place from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 2 in the Library Community Room.